Luffy's Straw Hat Pirates will find the One Piece, but he may not be the Pirate King

Modified Jul 23, 2024 23:30 GMT

Monkey D. Luffy's dream to become the Pirate King has been the central theme of the One Piece series since it started in 1997. However, a recent theory about the Pirate King suggests that Luffy's journey might take an unexpected turn.

Despite his unwavering ambition, there is a possibility that another member of the Straw Hat Pirates would claim this title. Buggy's statement about becoming the Pirate King is about who finds Joy Boy's treasure first hints at an unexpected twist. With Luffy's true dream still shrouded in mystery, Eiichiro Oda may have a surprising revelation in store for fans as the series approaches the Final Saga.

One Piece theory: Nico Robin may become the Pirate King at the end of the series

Buggy, the Clown as shown in the anime series (Image via Toei Animation)

Buggy once mentioned that becoming the Pirate King isn't about being the most powerful but about who gets their hands on the treasure first. Knowing Eiichiro Oda and how he does the unexpected, this seemingly straightforward notion by Buggy may have some hidden meaning. It could mean that the most powerful person may not become the Pirate King.

Monkey D. Luffy (Image via Toei Animation)

Ever since the series started in 1997, fans have known that it has been Luffy's dream since childhood to become the Pirate King. However, after the end of the Wano arc, Luffy revealed his true dream to his crewmates, which was not disclosed to fans, meaning that Oda might be plotting some things.

This mystery around Luffy's true goal could mean that Luffy may have something else in mind rather than becoming the Pirate King. Hence, the question arises, if Luffy wouldn't become the Pirate King, then who would?

Nico Robin’s role and her connection to the One Piece

Nico Robin as shown in the anime (Image via Toei Animation)

Going through the goals of the Straw Hat pirates, Robin's dream to uncover the true history of the world and what happened during the Void Century closely aligns with becoming the Pirate King. As seen throughout the manga, discovering the One Piece treasure and uncovering the true history of the world and the Void Century are largely intertwined.

The Poneglyphs, which are critical to understanding the Void Century and finding the huge treasure, are decipherable only by Robin. This connection implies that if the Straw Hats reach Laugh Tale, Robin, who can read the Poneglyphs, would be the first to understand what the One Piece is. She would then relay that information to Luffy, meaning Robin would technically be the first to "find" the treasure.

A manga panel from the Wano Country arc (Image via Shueisha)

Interestingly, it is to be noted that Robin is the only Straw Hat who hasn't dramatically declared that Luffy will become the Pirate King. Instead, she referred to the wings of the Pirate King without explicitly mentioning Luffy, adding a subtle but significant variation to her character's perspective.

To add to this theory, during an interview in 2009, Eiichiro Oda made a playful joke about Nico Robin replacing Luffy as the Pirate King. This suggests that Oda may be up to something in the Final Saga of the One Piece series, adding a layer of foreshadowing to this theory.

Final thoughts

The Straw Hat Pirates (Image via Toei Animation)

While the Straw Hat pirates will undoubtedly reach Laugh Tale and find the treasure, Luffy's true dream may diverge from becoming the Pirate King. This leaves room for an unexpected twist where Nico Robin's unique abilities and knowledge position her as the key figure in their ultimate discovery. Only time will tell where the One Piece story leads and what Eiichiro Oda has in store for fans.